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Spider-Man Comic Book Collection

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia Start Price:200,000.00 USD
Spider-Man Comic Book Collection
SOLD
Winning Bid Undisclosed
This item SOLD at 2022 Oct 08 @ 13:07UTC-7 : PDT/MST
All items are sold as is. Contact Van Eaton Galleries for condition reports and shipping information. 21% Buyer's Premium for all lots.
In 1962 Stan Lee was tasked with creating a new superhero by Martin Goodman, at that time the publisher at Marvel Comics. Spotting a fly on the wall, Lee came up with Spider-man because "It just sounded dramatic." He pitched him as a teenager, with personal problems, and Goodman turned it down. He reasoned that people hate spiders, and heroes don't have personal problems. With the sci-fi comic book Amazing Fantasy slated for cancellation, Lee put Spider-man on the cover of the last issue and told his origin story within "Just to get it out of my system." When the sales figures for that issue came out, they knew they had a hit, and Marvel Comics' most popular superhero was born.
Spider-man's popularity transcends most other comic book characters. As sixteen year old high school student Peter Parker, he stood out from the pack of teenaged sidekicks who had been the prevailing standard. Parker was no boy in training to become a superhero, he was a young man becoming a hero on his own. He taught us "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility." While battling villains like the Vulture and Doctor Octopus, he was also caring for his frail Aunt May, working for his boisterous boss at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson (an avowed Spider-man hater) and trying to have a normal social life with Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, and friends Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn (who happens to be the son of Spider-man's greatest villain, the Green Goblin). Spider-man is a superhero readers can both identify with and aspire to be like.
Across "Top Comic Book Character" lists Spider-man is consistently the top Marvel character named, jockeying with only Superman and Batman for the number one overall position, depending on the leaning of the list-maker. Beyond comic books he has been featured in animated and live-action TV series, a comic strip, feature films, a (notoriously ill-fated) Broadway show, a myriad of video games, and literally every form of licensed product imaginable. The recent Marvel Cinematic Universe films leading up to 2021's Spider-man: No Way Home have propelled him to even greater and wider acclaim than ever.
This collection is the lifelong passion of a collector who began in childhood and pursued the Webslinger throughout his printed career. It spans, in unprecedented depth, more than 43 years of Spider-man, from his very first appearance, through all his starring titles. Beyond that it includes guest appearances, mini-series & one-shots, and even rare promotional comics. The total individual book count is over 2000, with the rarest and most valuable books of the collection CGC graded. Now, "Look out! Here comes the Spider-man!"
The Collection Includes...
AMAZING FANTASY #15...(Marvel, 1962) Amazing Fantasy #15. The first appearance of Stan Lee's greatest creation, the Amazing Spider-man. Amazing Fantasy 15 is the most sought after and highly valued book of the Silver age of comics from 1956 to 1969. The silver age is known as a time of artistic advancement and growing acceptance of comic books, following the Golden Age's relative quiet of the early 1950s. Amazing Fantasy #15 itself embodies Marvel Comics evolution into the Marvel Era of the late 1960s, with three "Twilight Zone" style backup stories that follow Spider-man's two part origin tale. These short twist ending stories were the hallmark of Marvel comics, until superhero stories edged them out starting with the Fantastic Four and Spider-man. The entire issue is written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Steve Ditko.
The first story, Spider-man!, introduces "bookworm" Peter Parker, as well as Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Flash Thompson, and Liz Allan, all recurring characters in Spider-man comics. The science demonstration that leads to an irradiated arachnid biting Parker and giving him spider-powers follows. Part 2 tells the tragedy of Uncle Ben's death at the hands of a burglar Spider-man could have stopped, and his taking on the mantle of a superhero. This story is the foundation of Spider-man, and has been recreated cinematically in 2002's Spider-man and 2012's The Amazing Spider-man.
Rated #1 on Overstreet's Top 50 Silver age Comics. A CGc graded 9.6 copy of Amazing Fantasy 15 sold for $3.6 million dollars at auction in 2021. This copy has a CGc restored grade of 7.0 with off-white pages. Restoration includes a small amount of color touch on the cover and right edge trimmed.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #S 1-525 PLUS ANNUALS... (Marvel, 1962-ca. 2005) The flagship title of all Spider-man series. After his debut in Amazing Fantasy 15, Spider-man took to his own book in March of 1963 and has been the most popular Marvel comics character ever since. Originally written by Stan Lee and drawn by Steve Ditko, Spider-man has been helmed by many Marvel legends including Roger Stern, John Romita Sr. (and Jr.), Todd McFarlane, Ross Andru and more. Many important characters in the Marvel Universe debuted in the pages of the Amazing Spider-man including Dr. Octopus and J. Jonah Jameson, The Green Goblin, Mary Jane Watson, Kingpin, Gwen Stacy, The Punisher, Black Cat, Hobgoblin, Venom, and almost all of Spider-man's notorious villains. Key events include the Death of Gwen Stacy in #121 followed by the Green Goblin's death in #122, the Spider-man black costume debut in #252, the black cover on issue 477 observing the attacks on 9/11, and more. 525 issues plus 28 annuals.
MARVEL TALES...Marvel Tales (Marvel, 1964-1994) This chiefly reprint title debuted in two giant sized All Marvel Summer Specials in 1964 and 1965. Starting with issue #3 it mainly featured classic Spider-man tales with other Marvel heroes as backup for most of its run. It's notable that issue #30 features an original story about the X-Men character Angel written by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel in a rare piece of work with Marvel Comics. 291 Issues.
MARVEL TEAM-UP...Marvel Team-Up Volume 1(1972-1985) This second series to feature Spider-man presents the web-slinger in stories teamed up with a rotating cast of Marvel characters, from the most popular to the most obscure. 150 issues plus 7 annuals.
SPIDEY SUPER STORIES...Spidey Super Stories (Marvel, 1974-1982) Spun off from the first live-action Spider-man on PBS' The Electric Company, Spidey Super Stories taught reading skills to a generation of kids while following the wall-crawlers adventures with Marvel and Electric Company characters. This often overlooked series is an important part of Spider-man's growth into prominence in the bronze age of comics. 57 issues.
PETER PARKER, SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN...(Marvel, 1976-1998) Spider-man's growing popularity in the 1970s demanded a third title, premiering in December of 1976. The book was intended to focus slightly more on Spider-man's secret identity, though the "Peter Parker" was dropped from the title with issue 134. 264 issues and 14 annuals.
WEB OF SPIDER-MAN...(Marvel, 1985-1995) When Marvel Team Up ended its run in 1985, it was replaced with this solo Spider-man title. Web of Spider-man is notable for being the only book to premiere during Spider-man's black costume phase, which led to the birth of fan favorite villain Venom. 129 issues plus 10 annuals.
TODD MCFARLANE'S SPIDER-MAN...Spider-man (1990-1998) Todd McFarlane's art in The Amazing Spider-man proved so popular, he was given his own Spider-title to write and draw. This lot includes several variations of the number one issue. Retitled Peter Parker: Spider-man at issue #75. 98 issues.
SPIDER-MAN 2099...Spider-man 2099 (1992-1996) The first in-depth depiction of "another" Spider-man besides Peter Parker, in this case Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-man of the future. 46 issues plus one annual & one special.
SPIDER-MAN MINISERIES...(Marvel, 1974-2007) Over 25 Spider-man miniseries, all complete. These include the 6 issue 1974 series Giant-Sized Spider-man, and Spider-man titles The Arachnis Project, Blue, Breakout, Punisher: Family Plot, X-Factor: Shadow Games, and many more. Over 114 issues total.
OTHE SPIDER-MAN SERIES...(Marvel, 1996-2005) 12 longer series dating from 1993 to 2003 chart Spider-man's growth into the new millennium. Some are new adventures or tied to new animated series, and others tell untold tales from Peter Parker's past. Titles include Adventures of Spider-man (1996), Spider-man's Tangled Web (2001-03), and Untold Tales of Spider-man (1998-2000). Over 250 issues total.
SPIDER-MAN PROMOS...(Various, 1966-2002) This grouping is an extensive collection (33 issues) of rare Spider-man books published as promotional give-aways, and magazine and newspaper inserts from across the USA and Canada. The rarity and scope of these books alone is notable, and as this comprehensive collection, immeasurable. Here Spider-man visits Dallas department stores, battles teenage smoking, and teams up to fight Dr. Doom with Billy, the mascot of the Florida Marlins.
OTHER APPEARANCES OF SPIDER-MAN...(Marvel, ca. 1960s - 2000s) This includes Spider-man appearances in other Marvel titles, one-shot issues, and related series such as The Green Goblin (1995) and Scarlet Spider titles. Approximately 157 issues.